Antigua and Barbuda cruise
The archipelago of 365 beaches (8 days)

At 6pm, you'll board your large catamaran from the Fort Louis marina in Marigot, the capital of the French part of the island.
After settling into your cabin, it's time for a safety briefing and life on board cocktail. We lift anchor for a short sail to a quiet anchorage for dinner and overnight.  And a first dive from the boat if you fancy it.

After an early wake-up call (jet lag obliges) and breakfast, we weigh anchor and head for the superb Gustavia Bay in St. Barths in the morning. You'll have a good half-day to discover this welcoming island, which isn't as snobbish as it's made out to be. Stroll through Gustavia's colorful streets, relax on one of its many beaches or rent a small car or scooter to see a bit more: it's well known that everything is possible in St. Barth's. Rendezvous on board in the late afternoon to share your impressions over an aperitif with your fellow cruisers and crew.
Immediately after dinner, you'll set sail for a night sail, heading southeast towards Barbuda.

At sunrise, you'll barely be able to make out Barbuda's coastline, even though it's so close. Like all coral islands, it barely rises above the surface, like a green and white mirage in the middle of the sea.
Your first port of call will be opposite the island's only village, Codrington, where your Captain will meet with Matthew, the doua nier, to complete the formalities for entering Antigua and Barbuda. This will certainly be an opportunity to meet the Barbudans during a stroll ashore or over coffee in a small lolo.
Codrington is built on a lagoon partially enclosed by one of the island's impressive beaches, aptly named Eleven Miles Beach. The lagoon is a nature reserve whose mangroves are home to the world's second-largest colony of Superb Frigatebirds. 
This seabird with a wingspan of over two meters was once known as the West Indian Eagle. You'll recognize them by their long, tapering wings and forked tails. Females are black with a white head, while males are entirely black with a bright red gular sac.
A little further south on the island, you'll find Pink Sand Beach, the famous pink beach made of powdered coral and crushed shells. The contrast with the blue of the Caribbean Sea is striking.
At the southern tip of the island, head to Coco Point with its immaculate beach and coral reef just a few metres from the shore for a snorkelling session with sea turtles and reef fish. After this intense, emotionally-charged day, the sunset over this dreamy landscape, from the beach or aboard your catamaran, will surely be one of the most beautiful of your life.
Dinner and overnight at anchor.

Wake up to a second day in paradise, 100% nature. Lovers of farniente and water sports can continue to scour the island's pink or white beaches and coral reefs, at Pointe Palmetto or Low Bay, while the adventurous turn their attention to another of Barbuda's natural treasures: its caves nestling along the coast.  Petroglyphs dating back to the Neolithic era bear witness to the island's occupation by the ancestors of the Arawak Indians 4,000 years ago. On the east coast, Two Foot Bay cave is populated by bats, birds, crabs and iguanas. Its three successive chambers open onto the blue ocean. Your captain will arrange for a local guide to help you on your way. Don't forget your sneakers!
At the end of the day, Princess Diana's long white beach is the perfect setting for a sunset. Dinner and overnight at anchor.

Early departure for a 5-hour sail to the island of Antigua, which you will reach before lunch.  Your first stop of the day will be North Beach on Great Bird Island or Jumby Bay on Long Island.  These small islands are part of the North Sound National Park, a sanctuary for endemic wildlife such as brown pelicans, red-billed phaetons and turtles.
After lunch and a snorkeling swim in one of the islets' white-sand coves, we head for Dickenson Bay, an hour and a half away by sea.
This bay in the north of the island is the perfect place for a gentle return to civilization. Along the long white sandy beach, the beachfront bars welcome you for a sunset cocktail, facing the islets emerging from the coral reef.
Dinner and overnight at anchor.

After breakfast and a refreshing swim, you'll lift anchor for the first stop of the day, at Deep Bay Beach, a little further south on Antigua's west coast.
An arc-shaped isthmus of pale sand forms this small turquoise bay, where snorkelling enthusiasts make their rendezvous on the wreck of a ship. Sunk in 1905, it lies right in the middle of the bay, with the bow only a metre deep.  Deep Bay's perfectly calm waters are ideal for paddling. In the early afternoon, a short navi gation will take you to Jolly Harbour, the island's chicest marina. While your captain takes care of the exit clearances, you'll be free to do what you like best: lazing under the coconut palms on the white beach, shopping on Valley Road or renting a bike for a few hours to push a little further into the island's interior (on the left, of course!).
Return on board in the late afternoon for aperitifs and dinner. In the evening, you'll leave Antigua, heading northwest for the return sail to Saint Martin.

In the morning, you'll come in sight of a beautiful uninhabited islet, Tintamarre, just a stone's throw from the main island of Saint Martin. Its name literally means "color of the sea". The more adventurous can explore the island on the hiking trail, which takes a good hour to complete, while the more contemplative can just let themselves be carried away by the warm sea, admiring the view of the main island or the sea bed.
In the afternoon, set sail for Grand Case for dinner and overnight at anchor. Treat yourself to a final West Indian evening ashore in one of the friendly beach bars or in the narrow streets of this charming village: Creole ambience guaranteed.

After a short morning sail, you'll arrive at the Fort-Louis marina. 
You'll reluctantly leave your catamaran and crew at 9am.